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COLUMBIA — Early voting for South Carolina’s June 11 primaries has begun.
The early voting period started Tuesday and runs through Friday, June 7, except for weekends. Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and, as required by law, each county has at least one early voting location.
Two counties, Greenville and Richland, are opening seven locations, according to information posted by the South Carolina Election Commission. Seven is the maximum places per county allowed under the state’s 2022 early voting law.
Click here for all locations available to voters in each county. (In the Democratic and GOP presidential contests earlier this year, no county opened more than four.)
Registered voters who do not vote early in person or absentee by mail can make their choices on primary day itself, June 11, when precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The deadline for registering to vote for the primaries is already past.
Voters don’t register by party in South Carolina. So, every registered voter can vote in either the Democrat or Republican primary. But voters must pick one. They just can’t vote in both.
They also can’t cross between parties for primary runoffs. For example, someone who votes in the Democratic primary would be ineligible to vote in a Republican primary runoff, and vice-versa.
In South Carolina, a candidate must get at least one vote over 50% to win a primary. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff June 25.
Any race that goes to a runoff will also have an early voting period from Wednesday, June 19, to Friday, June 21, again open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There are a few days left for voters to request an absentee ballot — the deadline is May 31.
To request an absentee ballot, voters must give a reason why they can’t vote in person. Allowed reasons include being out of town for the entire early voting window as well as the day of the primaries, serving in the military, being 65 or older or having a physical disability. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person. People returning a ballot in person must show a photo ID.
There are no statewide offices on the ballot this year.
But voters will decide all seven U.S. House districts and all 170 seats in the Legislature, though whether there’s a primary contest will depend on the district and party. Local offices up for election include 10 of the state’s 16 solicitors.
Across the state, over 250 people filed to run for 124 state House seats, while over 100 people filed to run for the 46 Senate districts. Dozens of candidates are running with no opposition in the primary or general election in November.
To check your polling place and see sample ballots by district, visit the South Carolina voter page.
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